Drifting Feathers
by SkyeAedus
Summary: Obsessions determine more than just behaviors. (Completely self-indulgent Greater Destiny story).
1. Sleep

**Warning: There is some foul language in this one. You can't really blame him, given what is going on, but still.**

* * *

Danny Fenton was exhausted.

Now, this wasn't something unusual in the slightest, given that the sixteen-year-old was far from normal. He was also the ghostly superhero Phantom, and had been fighting ghosts nearly constantly for the two years since he received his powers. The only problem was that no ghosts had attacked all week, and yet Danny felt even more drained than when they were always attacking.

The teen stifled another yawn as he halfway paid attention to Sam's latest rant about her mother. Tucker noticed this and jumped in.

"Dude, are you okay? You don't look so great." The techno-geek ignored the indignant 'Hey!' from Sam in favor of looking his best friend over.

It was true that Danny wasn't looking well. There were dark, bruise-like circles under his eyes, slightly worse than what he usually got from nightly ghost fights. His skin was pale even by his standards, and his normally bright blue eyes seemed dim and unfocused. Overall, the poor half-ghost looked closer to death than ever.

But Danny just shrugged it off, "Yeah, Tuck, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."

Finally realizing exactly how bad off her friend looked, Sam scoffed. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't be ridiculous, Danny. We all know that the ghost activity has been low lately, so there's no way that you're like this because you're _'just tired.'_ Are you sick or something?"

"I dunno," The worn out teen sighed, "Maybe? I'm pretty sure it's nothing major, though. It'll pass, especially if thing stay as they are for a while."

The humans in the group shifted and glanced at each other before returning their attention to their mutual friend. "Danny," Tucker suggested, "Maybe you shouldn't come to the movie night tonight. How 'bout you just go home and sleep for a while. Your parents and Jazz won't be back from that convention thing until Monday, right? Plenty of uninterrupted rest."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, Monday… Are you sure that's okay with you guys? I mean, I'm su-" He broke off in a yawn, "-sure that I can at least stay up for another few hours."

"That yawn said otherwise. Go home, already, before you fall asleep standing up."

"But Sam-"

"I'll carry you if I need to."

"…Fine, I'll go home. Just, uh, don't do that. I'll text you guys when I wake up then, I guess." Danny relented in an effort to retain his sense of dignity.

Tucker smiled, "See ya, man. Feel better."

"Bye." The half parted ways with his team, sleepily shuffling towards his house, and furthermore, the soft embrace of his warm bed. After what felt like hours, he made it to FentonWorks and into his room.

"Aah, finally." The boy breathed as he stumbled forwards, tripping over his own two feet. Before he reached his goal, however, something strange happened.

His icy core pulsed in a way he had never before felt. It was only vaguely uncomfortable until it happened a second time, when it instead drove him to his knees in pain. A third pulse sent agony dancing along his nerves. He cried out and slumped to the hardwood floor, unconscious even before his head made contact.

Sam sighed as she and Tucker approached Danny's house. They were both worried about him, and neither could stand to go home without at least making sure the halfa was safe. Knowing the young hero's luck, there was probably a ghost fight, or maybe he had fallen asleep halfway up the stairs and hit his head or something ridiculous like that.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Sam pulled out the spare key Danny had given her years ago and tried to unlock the door. To her mild surprise, the door was actually already unlocked. She pushed it open.

Tucker, who followed her inside, was the first to notice something truly amiss. Since he was usually the only one of the pair allowed to sleep over at Danny's house (courtesy of Mrs. Manson's demands), he knew that the other boy never slept with the door to his room open, no matter what. Thus, when he spotted that the door was not just slightly ajar but completely wide open, he was more than slightly concerned. Was his friend really that out of it? Or-

"It's quiet as the grave in here," Sam unknowingly interrupted the African-American boy's thought process. At the raised eyebrow she was sent, the goth continued, "And I mean that in a way that creeps even me out. Is he here?"

"Either he's here and worse than I thought or he's off fighting and is about to be. Either way, I doubt this is good." Tucker answered, making for the stairs. He bounded up them two at a time, only to stop dead at what he saw.

"Tucker?" Sam asked as she followed at a slightly more casual pace, "What's wrong?" But she, too, froze when she spotted what lay on the floor in Danny's room.

At first glance, it simply looked like a huge pile of black feathers and blankets. Once the two looked closer, however, it became obvious that it was much more. The heap was shivering slightly, and the sheets were dotted in what the teenagers both immediately recognized as blood. There was no doubt in their minds that it was Danny's.

"Danny!" They shouted in unison as they snapped out of their dazes. Sam, though the second to see the mass, was the first to reach it and began to peel away the blankets. Tucker joined in. Neither bothered to stop and wonder where all the feathers had come from. As such, they received an answer before they had even asked the question.

On the shivering boy's back was a pair of huge ebony wings, disheveled and bloody. They were tightly pressed against the teen's back and twitching slightly every so often. Had they been properly cleaned up, they would have been quite beautiful. As it was, though, their magnificence was dulled by the gaping wounds they had evidently left in their wake.

"Oh my god…" Sam whispered as she drew her hands away and rushed for the medical kit she knew to be under the bed. She couldn't let her shock overcome her, Danny needed her help!

Tucker, on the other hand, stayed silent as he took in not only the sudden wings, but Danny's face. Surprisingly, his eyes were open and glowing the blue of his ice core, but his pupils were only pinpricks and a wave of a hand confirmed that he wasn't actually seeing much of anything.

"Sam, you won't need that," Tucker spoke up, "These gashes are healing already."

Sam paused in her motions to stare at Tucker incredulously, "What? That's impossible, even for him!"

But, she realized as she looked again, Tucker was right. Already the wounds were only half as bad as what she had first seen. Even as she watched, they closed up, not even leaving a scar.

"...What the hell..?"

Tucker took a deep, shaky breath, "I think Danny just grew wings and healed hundreds of times faster than usual. Either that or we're both dreaming, but I doubt that."

Nodding slowly, Sam noticed that Danny's eyes were open. In a much calmer manner than before, she strode towards him and knelt down, looking him in the blank eyes. She spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "Danny? Are you okay? How did this happen?"

"I don't think he's actually awake." Tucker informed with a shake of his head.

But contrary to the boy's words, Danny blinked twice and gasped, "Sam! Wha-? When did you-? Why am I on the floor?"

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Tucker laughed, "Of course she would be able to wake you up." He then yelped as a boot flew towards his face, and narrowly dodged.

Sam scowled at him before turning her attention back to her feathered friend, "Danny, we came over just to make sure you were alright and we found you like this. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I... I was walking to my bed to take you guys' advice, and then... My core did something weird. It kinda throbbed in a way that made everything hurt. After that, I passed out." Danny relayed, then glanced around his room. He noticed the mess, "Uh, whoa, what happened here? Why are all of my blankets on the floor... And covered in blood? Wait, what's up with all the feathers?"

Sam and Tucker exchanged a glance, but before either could say anything Danny caught on and spoke again.

"Some completely illogical bullshit happened again, didn't it." It wasn't a question.

Sam hesitantly nodded and explained, "Um, we found you all wrapped up in the blankets, and when we got you out... We saw that you now have wings."

 **"WHAT!?"** Danny shouted, twisting around in his attempt to check. It wasn't hard to do so, as his previously tucked in wings had flared open halfway when he panicked. Actually, he ended up smacking himself in the face with one wing.

"Ow. Wait, how does this even _happen!?"_

Tucker chuckled at the mishap as Sam shrugged, but then he calmed himself, "I have a theory."

"Really?" Sam and Danny asked at the same time, and the goth continued, "How? This seems completely nonsensical!"

Tucker smirked, "I actually wondered about it for a year or so now, and this might be the answer to my question. Danny, can you still go ghost?"

"I think so?" The halfa swiftly changed forms and was surprised to see that his wings were now the snowy white of his hair. On second thought, though, he realized that it made sense. Everything else changed color at least a little bit, why wouldn't they?

"Dude, what are you _wearing?"_ Tucker asked in disbelief. Sam had a smug expression on her face.

Looking down at himself, Danny noticed that no, he was not wearing his Hazmat suit. It looked like he was wearing black jeans, white combat boots with black laces, and white fingerless gloves. When he shakily stood and looked in the mirror, he saw that he had a long sleeved black shirt and a white vest with his black DP symbol over his heart. Two white belts crisscrossed around his waist, with a thermos clipped onto one. He turned and noticed that the vest and shirt had an open space on the back, just enough for his wings to comfortably fit.

"Well," he stated, "this is sudden, but at least it's not more Hazmat."

Sam nodded, "You've got a point. And, hey, I told you this kind of style would look great on you."

Looking himself over again, Danny muttered a quiet thanks. He had to admit it looked cool, but it was a far cry from his usual preferences.

"Uh, Tuck? Does this confirm your theory, or what?" He asked, burning green eyes turning to the bespectacled boy. He made a noncommittal noise and shrugged again.

"Kinda? I mean, I don't really know why your outfit changed, but otherwise I think so."

"Oh, just tell us already!" Sam snapped, leveling an annoyed glare at Tucker.

With a frightened meep, Tucker nodded, "Sure, sure! But have either of you ever wondered why Danny looks so different from the other ghosts? I mean, white hair is fairly uncommon, and other than Danielle no ghost but you has a healthy human skin tone. She doesn't count, anyway, since she's a clone and would already look like you."

"I kinda thought it was because I'm a halfa," Danny said with his head cocked to one side. He lifted his legs to float cross-legged in the air.

Sam shook her head, "Then what about Vlad?"

"Maybe because he's all evil, or 'cause he's been a halfa for longer?"

Tucker cut in, "I doubt it. It doesn't really fit, in my opinion. I think it might have something to do with your obsession, actually."

With a huff, Danny turned his head away. "I don't _have_ an obsession."

"Yeah, Danny, I'm pretty sure you do. If it would save your own life, would you let a criminal die? Or anyone, for that matter."

"Of course not!" Danny said vehemently, "Even if it's a criminal, they don't deserve to die. It's better to just send them to prison and maybe give them another chance someday. Taking that chance away would be horrible!"

Sam sighed and shook her head, "And you say you don't have an obsession. You can't let anyone, no matter how bad, be killed or usually even hurt."

"B-but that's not an obsession, it's just the right thing to do." It sounded like Danny was trying to convince himself as much as he was them.

Tucker brushed it off, "Anyway, that obsession of yours is probably what makes you different. With such a strong obsession for protection, you're not a normal ghost at all."

"Wait, what?"

"You're more like a literal spirit of protection, or in other words, an angel."

There was a disbelieving silence, during which Danny and Tucker stared at each other and Sam's gaze darted back and forth between them. Then, suddenly, Danny burst out into laughter.

"T-typical!" He gasped, "Of c-course I'm an angel. Of fucking course!"

"Calm down, man!" Tucker tried, but Danny's giggles kept up. Frustrated, he asked, "Well, how else would you explain any of this?"

That shut him up.

"Alright, fine, I'll give you that," The floating boy muttered, "But why would this happen now? And why do I have _these-"_ he fluttered his wings, "-in my human form?"

That gave Tucker pause, "I... I don't know. But I think I know who does."

* * *

 **Word Count: 2287**

 **I hope you like my self-indulgent wingfic! Thanks for reading and have a nice day/evening!**


	2. Clockwork

**WARNING: Self-indulgent mess.**

* * *

"You're late. By sixteen and a half seconds, at that."

Danny sputtered, "But you're the master of time! You know exactly when we'd be here."

Clockwork, in the form of a toddler, smirked, "Yes, but you would have been here sixteen and a half seconds earlier if you had gone around the left side of that island instead of the right. Therefore, you're late."

With a collective sigh, the trio of teens stepped fully into the Clock Citadel. Clockwork floated to the center of the main chamber, shifting into his adult self.

"Now then, what have you come here for, Daniel?" He asked.

"You already know what."

"Yes, I do. I ask for your benefit."

Accepting the reasoning, Danny nodded, "Alright. Well, obviously, I now have wings, and Tucker said it might be because I'm an angel. We came to ask if that's true and figure out some other stuff based on that."

"Good."

Sam spoke up, "So? Is it true?"

"To put it simply," came the answer, "Yes. Though, before you ask, Heaven is not a part of the Spirit World. Ghosts who pass on peacefully may go to heaven, but Angels are not residents of Heaven. As Tucker suspected, ghosts with obsessions like yours who don't become possessive and corrupted by it have the potential to become Angels."

Danny perked up at that, "So there are more? And because of the criteria, they'd be friendly, right?"

"Yes, they would..." Clockwork confirmed, before his face darkened and he shifted to an elderly man, "Though no Angels have been seen for a long, long time. You are the first I have seen in person for several centuries, and the rest have either been disguised as humans for as long or have vanished altogether."

"Oh." Danny's wings drooped as his spirits fell. But then another thought occurred to him, "Wait! If the other Angels can disguise themselves as humans, why does my human form still have wings?"

"Ah, yes. I ask you, when you have been injured in ghost form, will it not also harm your human half?"

Danny nodded, though he was still confused. Clockwork continued.

"This situation is similar. Your ghost half and human half are not two separate bodies, but instead one body represented as two different things: energy and matter."

"And..?"

"If your ghost half is altered in any way, what would happen to your human half?"

Danny frowned, "So because I'm only using two versions of the same thing, the wings I got as a ghost of protection need to also be part of my human self?"

"Precisely."

The trio looked thoughtful at that. It was Tucker who spoke first, "Why isn't Vlad like that? He doesn't have fangs in human form, and he looks a lot more buff as a ghost."

Clockwork chuckled, "Actually, he does have fangs in both forms, they are simply retractable. As for his build, it's only an illusion created by thick clothing and a frightening presence."

"Aha!" Danny crowed, "So he really _is_ a vampire! Called it."

The master of time smiled as he shifted back to the form he had greeted them in. "Be careful, you're insulting the real vampires. They're nowhere near that unpleasant or bloodthirsty, as irony would have it. Anyway, there is another question you intended to ask me."

Danny nodded, ignoring the fascinated whisper of 'real vampires' from his goth friend. Returning to the floating position he had adopted in his room, he relaxed as he questioned, "Why did this only happen now? And while I'm at it, how come I can still fly normally?"

"I'll start with the simple one. You can still fly as you usually do because while your wings will provide you with greater speed, your ghostly flight offers better maneuverability. When used together, it is unlikely you will ever meet a superior flyer."

"Coooool!" The trio commented in unison.

"As for the other question," Clockwork sighed, an old man once more, "Do you remember what today is?"

Sharing a perplexed look, all of the teens shook their heads.

"It is the exact two-year anniversary of the first time you voluntarily threw yourself into harm's way for the sake of protecting others. The anniversary of your first real ghost fight."

"Oh, right!" Sam said, eyes wide in realization, "I remember that fight, actually! That _was_ two years ago, wasn't it?"

Danny smiled at the memory of his clumsy start. "So what now?" He asked his ghostly mentor, letting himself drop to the floor in a standing position.

The time ghost floated towards his viewing portals, seemingly deep in thought. After a pause, he turned back around and declared, "For now, it seems it would be wisest to keep this development a secret. Before your family returns, practice with turning your wings - _only_ your wings - invisible and intangible for long periods of time. You should also attempt to get a handle on your new abilities as they develop. Yes, that will happen. Otherwise... Do not actively seeking other Angels. That will not end well."

The small group decided not to question the Time Master, and simply nodded.

"Before you leave, I have some gifts for each of you," Clockwork stated, "Samantha, you will appreciate these, I'm sure. They will turn you each invisible as you please, even when Daniel is human. The clasps double as time medallions." He summoned three pitch black cloaks and handed them to the gothic girl. Sam grinned and swiftly pulled one on, fastening the gear-shaped clasp and pulling the hood over her head. The shadow it cast made her face nearly indescribable even to the boys standing next to her.

"Awesome."

"Tucker, this one is a bit more in your area of expertise. It is capable of converting anything you input into a ghost-compatible material. Have fun playing around with that, why don't you?" This time, what looked like a glowing item scanner was called forth. Tucker immediately began dismantling and rebuilding it with his eyes.

"I now name you... Genevieve."

"And finally, Daniel. Firstly, do not hesitate to ask me for help if you should need it. Unless those detestable Observants prevent me from doing so, I will be there to assist you. Second, you will not immediately be able to hide your wings with your powers while unconscious, so this will render them invisible until you can do so yourself. Don't be reliant on them; they can't turn your wings intangible after all." Clockwork entrusted Danny with a silver necklace with a gear the size of a quarter for a pendant.

"Thank you, Clockwork!"

But the powerful ghost wasn't done, "One last thing. Though it has been so for a long time, I knew not to tell you until now. You have proven yourself to be ready, and those wings of yours only prove that." Clockwork retrieved the Crown of Fire - recovered from Plasmius - and the Ring of Rage.

Catching on, Danny shook his head violently, "Oh _hell_ no."

"After your defeat of Pariah Dark, it became your right and obligation to rule. An angel on the throne presents the potential for the Spirit World to heal from the fragmentation it has suffered under previous rulers. This is your future, and it will likely be bright." Clockwork urged.

"But... I won't be able to live peacefully and I'll need to leave home, right? And can't these artifacts corrupt me or something? That seems like it would be a thing." Danny argued, not noticing the silence from his companions.

If Sam and Tucker had to be honest with Danny, they would tell him to accept the title. The two had discussed the possibility in the past, after Sam had mentioned the old tradition for the victor of a one-on-one duel between a king and a challenger would earn the right to rule. Though Tucker had needed some convincing, they eventually agreed that he would most likely excel at the job.

"No, Daniel, once you have formed a proper council, you need only to visit once or twice a week. Until you are ready, the true title of king will be waiting, and you will remain the Prince of Spirits. If anything, the position would deter many of your enemies from attacking you. Besides, the Crown and Ring can't corrupt the holder. They shift and change to better fit the needs and nature of their master. I suspect that your Ring will help you to keep calm and think rationally, thus helping with your angel issues." Was the explanation.

Danny bit his lip and took a step back, his wings fluffing up in discomfort. He wasn't as sure as everyone else seemed to be, but this guy was the literal _Master of Time_. If Clockwork, of all people, believed that he was the right choice…

"...Alright, fine," He answered reluctantly, shuffling his feet, "I'll do it. But promise me that if I start to turn evil, you'll take the Crown and Ring away from me before it's too late, okay?"

Clockwork presented his young charge with the ring and a smile, "I promise."

* * *

 **Yep, see? More ideas that will become a huge mess later, that's on purpose.**

 **Word Count: 1516**

 **Thanks for reading, again, and have a nice day/evening!**


	3. Return

**Oh my goodness gracious I am so sorry!**

 **A lot came up and I have had a very hard time getting any writing done, but here's a little something to get back on track. I hope it suffices.**

* * *

Danny sighed heavily as he released his hold on his selective intangibility and invisibility, falling sideways onto the couch in his living room. He had been working on hiding his wings for hours at a time, and this attempt had lasted him just under four. The task exhausted him, though, and he was beginning to worry that he wouldn't have it down before his parents and sister returned from their trip.

That is, in six hours. He had six hours.

Shifting slightly to relieve the pressure on his left wing, Danny dug through his pants pockets and drew out a ring. Though once the Ring of Rage, it had altered both its appearance and its purpose since Clockwork and the rest of Danny's council had formally bestowed it upon him. It was now a band of silver with a stripe of black running through the center. Where the ominous skull once sat was a rendering of a pair of wings in what appeared to be softly glowing emerald. Clockwork had called it the Ring of Cognizance, which basically just meant knowledge and understanding.

Danny still didn't want to wear the thing for fear it would change him somehow, but Clockwork had mentioned that it could help him with his 'Angel issues.' Frowning, the spirit boy shook his head and tucked the ring back into his pocket and let his thoughts wander.

His council was worryingly small, consisting of only four ghosts. So far, he had Clockwork, Frostbite, Pandora, and Princess Dorothea. It saddened him to realize that outside of that group, he really didn't have any allies powerful and wise enough to help.

Really, half of his ghostly allies were already on the council, more if Dani wasn't counted as a ghost. Well, technically he was kinda in a tentative alliance with Johnny and Kitty, but he didn't think they could handle it.

Danny was jolted out of his reverie by the buzzing of his phone on the table. Startled, he scrambled for it, narrowly avoiding dropping it as he answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, Danny, it's Jazz." Came a familiar female voice through the speaker.

Danny paled, "O-oh, hey. What's up? Did something happen?"

Jazz sighed heavily, unknowingly imitating her brother from minutes before, "Yep. Mom and Dad blew up another scientist's alternative energy project. We got kicked out, so we'll be home early. Probably within fifteen minutes."

Danny swallowed thickly. Shit, he still couldn't effectively conceal his wings! How would he even begin to explain the new limbs?

"Danny?"

"Huh?" The boy blinked as he returned to awareness, "Uh, right, sorry. I'll see you in a bit, then." Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and began a mad mental search for a solution. Suddenly, it came to him: Clockwork's pendant!

Without transforming, Danny phased up through the ceiling and into his room, snatching the silver pendant from the nightstand near his bed. He slipped it on and fumbled with the clasp in his haste. Finally securing the thin chain, he looked over his shoulder where he knew his wings sat.

Nothing was there.

Or, rather, they were invisible. Danny sighed in relief and relaxed, unwittingly extending his wings halfway as he did so... And promptly knocking his alarm clock off the nightstand.

"Shoot!" He said sharply as he turned to catch it. He was too late; the device fell to the floor with a loud crash, visibly broken. "Aw, man," Danny whined as he scooped the pieces up, "Not again..."

And not two minutes later, the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle pulled into the driveway.

* * *

Maddie Fenton strolled into her home, having already shaken off the disappointment over her reason for returning so early. "Danny, we're home!" She called up the stairs, assuming correctly that he was in his room.

The short boy appeared at the top of the staircase, a strange expression that vaguely resembled a smile on his face. He was wearing a deep blue hoodie, a rare addition to his usual T-shirt and jeans. Maddie raised a brow at that, but let it go.

"Hey, mom. How'd it go?"

Maddie smiled genuinely, "Oh, it was wonderful! That panel on Ecto-Psychology your sister attended was completely inaccurate, though. Prattling on about ghosts retaining human reasoning and emotion, how ridiculous!" She laughed openly.

She didn't expect Danny to laugh with her, but was still surprised at the flinch. The unidentifiable expression melted into - was that betrayal? - before it was covered by a mask of interest.

"Heh, of course. What else happened? Jazz mentioned something about an alternative energy source project?"

Scowling, Maddie nodded, "Yes. The man was brilliant, using ectoplasm to generate enough usable energy to run New York City for weeks. Even so, he shouldn't have been so mad when our Fenton Ecto-Pistol hit it. That happens to us all the time, and we can rebuild in no time!"

"Not everybody has the resources to do that, you know," Danny reasoned, "That guy probably spent years collecting the ectoplasm left behind after ghost attacks or something, like you and Dad did before the portal. People without direct access to a portal, meaning most people, have a much harder time making those kind of inventions that you do now."

Maddie was understandably shocked. How had he figured that out - or rather, why hadn't she? Really, for a boy who was getting B's and C's, her son never stopped impressing her.

"Good point, Danny-boy!" Jack called and out as he finally emerged from the kitchen, arms full of fudge. He grinned, "We should send Dr. Shmidt some ectoplasm to say sorry, Madds!"

Considering it for a moment, Maddie nodded, "I suppose that could work, if we use one of those old nonfunctional Fenton Thermoses to contain it all. After dinner, though, dear." Seeing Jack's face brighten, she turned her attention back to her son. "Danny, come on down here. I know you like to cook, so why don't you help me out? I was thinking of lasagna."

Danny smiled widely, quickly rushing past her into the kitchen. As he passed, however, Maddie felt something else brush against the sleeve of her Hazmat suit. Glancing at the point of contact, she saw a small black feather caught under the seam attaching her long black glove to the blue of the rest of her suit. Confused, Maddie stashed it in the small toolkit on her belt, vowing silently to watch her son a little closer for a while.

After all, the source of the feather had been something invisible. For all she knew, a ghost could have been following him all weekend!

While the two cooked (okay, Danny did the cooking and Maddie gave him ingredients), she kept an eye on the boy, mentally taking note of the way that his eyes seemed slightly brighter than usual. Every once in a while, Maddie heard a strange soft rustling noise, which was at its most noticeable when Danny was stirring pasta with a bored look on his face.

The strangest thing was when he accidentally burned his thumb on the warm metal of the pot. As Danny yelped in surprise more than pain, an empty mixing bowl suddenly threw itself off of the countertop. Maddie watched as the sixteen-year-old bent to pick it up, and, ever so quietly, Maddie reached out behind him and grabbed at what looked like empty air. She held her breath as her hand closed around an invisible fistful of-

Nothing.

Danny straightened up with the plastic bowl in hand, eyes so bright blue they almost seemed to glow. When he noticed Maddie's extended hand, he raised an eyebrow.

"Mom," he drawled, "What are you doing?"

After a moment, Maddie found her voice, "Ah, nothing. I just thought I saw a bug. Turns out I was wrong, though." She noted the slight paling of her son's already milky skin, but changed the subject, "Is your hand alright?"

He held it up for her to see, displaying nothing but a small reddish mark, "I'm fine. It's nothing major, it'll probably fade by the end of the night. Thanks for worrying, though."

Smiling, Maddie helped her youngest to finish preparing dinner, including a salad on the side. It wasn't until the family sat down to eat that she noticed the rustling had stopped.

* * *

Taking a bite of his lasagna, Danny discreetly observed his mother. Yeah, he knew he had messed up in the kitchen, but he had avoided any actual secret revelations. He'd need to be more careful in the future.

Abruptly, he realized that his mother was watching him back when their eyes met. Putting up an innocent mask, Danny swallowed and smiled.

"So, do you like it?" He asked, the question directed mostly at Maddie.

Jack was the one to answer, "This is great! You two really outdid yourselves this time. It's no fudge, though." He finished with a grin as he reached for a third helping. Smiling lightly at her husband, Maddie finally seemed to relax, much to Danny's pleasure.

"Thanks, Jack, but it was mostly Danny who did the cooking. Isn't that right, sweetie?"

Shrugging, the secret angel poked at a piece of cheese on his plate, "Erm, I guess. You helped a bit though, too. And this isn't anything special, I'm saving that for your anniversary. You know, just so you don't need to stop inventing to go out for good food. That's okay, right?"

"Wait, is that soon..?" Jack muttered, but went ignored by the pair. Jazz silently nodded and returned to watching the conversation with interest.

Maddie's expression softened, and she set down her silverware. "Danny," she said not unkindly, "You don't need to do anything of the sort. You can go and enjoy yourself with Tucker and Sam if you'd rather be doing that."

But Danny shook his head with a grin, "Nah, I can do that any other day. Helping you two out by giving you a free, high-quality meal? That's something different. You two deserve something good after the last few years of ghostly mishaps and all. Besides, I like helping people, especially the people close to me. It feels nice, you know? A present for myself, for a job well done."

Maddie was rendered speechless at that. Somehow, her little boy seemed so much more mature than anyone else at the table in that moment. When had he grown up so much? Was it while she and Jack were holed up in their lab?

Sadly, she realized that it was more than likely. After all, the only times she could remember actually taking the time to talk to the kids in the last few years were when there was a problem at school or she and Jack were showing off a new invention. There was that mother-son camping disaster two years ago, but she and Danny hadn't done anything of the like since.

Danny knew exactly what was running through her head, and he told himself it was written all over her face. He tried to break the heavy atmosphere, "Hey, if everyone is done, there's still some chocolate fudge ice cream in the freezer. A bit early to have it in April, but-"

"FUDGE!"

Danny giggled (it was a very manly giggle, he would later swear) as he stood and began to clear his and his father's dishes from the table. He stacked them in the sink to clean later. Crossing the kitchen to where he knew the bowls were kept, but as his father returned to the table with the ice cream he bumped into Danny. The bowl in his hand slipped, shattering as it hit the floor.

The four Fentons were silent, until Danny pulled out the other three bowls and set them on the table. He smiled, "Sorry about that. I'll clean it up."

"But Danny," Jazz protested, "don't you want any?"

"I'll just get my own spoon and steal a scoop from Dad's bowl or something. It's no big." He, for the second time that day, found himself picking up the broken pieces of something from the floor. This time, though, it wasn't really his fault. It made up for the fact that the mixing bowl from before had been plastic, he supposed.

"Wow, you just keep losing out today, don't you son?" Jack commented without thinking. Once it was in the air, though, the women realized how true the statement was. Danny could tell that they felt incredibly guilty; they had all had a wonderful evening, and the youngest of them kept getting the short end of the stick, despite the fact that he was doing everything for their gain. He found he didn't agree, it wasn't any different from usual. The main change was the lack of ghost attacks, he figured his temper was less short than normal.

So he just made a vague sound in the back of his throat, "Hmm, it's fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, you know. It's just all the bad stuff is happening while you're here today." He paused and grimaced, "Well, except for the thing with my clock. I'll need to get a new one once I find a way to do that."

And then something landed on Danny's head.

"OW!" He cried out, falling to the ground as his family called his name and rushed to make sure he was alright. Rubbing at his sore skull with one hand, he used the other to examine the object. He was surprised to find that it was a digital clock, obviously of better quality than the one he had broken earlier.

"Whoa, what?" Jazz breathed when she registered what had just happened, "Did you get on the good side of a Clock Ghost or something?"

Everyone stared at her for a long moment, before the Fenton parents and Danny burst into boisterous laughter. Jazz blinked in surprise, but quickly glared at her brother.

Danny struggled to catch his breath, "I - oh goodness - I th-think that's c-close enough!"

"Don't be silly, Jazzypants!" Jack boomed at the same time, "Ghosts don't have good sides!"

Each hearing what the other had said, the two froze and exchanged an uncomfortable glance. The halfa cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"In any case… This is pretty cool, and doesn't seem to have any weird ghostly features other than the fact that it randomly appeared. Hey, Universe!" He jokingly yelled up into the air, "Does this come with some setup instructions?"

To his mild surprise and amusement, a folded up piece of paper popped into existence and promptly landed on his lap.

"Danny, you know we can't just let you keep this, right?" Maddie informed gently, "Your father and I will need to examine it in the lab to make sure it's safe first."

WIth an amicable nod, Danny stood up and retrieved the ice cream. "That's fine by me, I guess. If it's safe, though, can I keep it? It's a gift from the Universe, Mom. I can't turn that down."

"You joker," Maddie said with a soft chuckle, "I suppose that's fine."

"Thanks, Mom!"

The rest of the meal went much as planned: Danny snatched a few spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream from each bowl, then they all cleaned up and headed off to each of their own areas of the house. That was enough interaction for today.

Danny had school the next day, after all, and he had to be ready for whatever it would throw at him.

* * *

 **Word Count: 2581**

 **Literally everything has a meaning in someway, so even though things may seem frivolous now, I'll give them significance later.**

 **Thanks for reading, and have a nice day/evening!**


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